Ahoy! How are you guys feeling today? Must be in high spirit
I bet! For working class people Friday must be one of the happiest days ever.
There’s also another specialty about today, it’s “International Talk-Like-A-Pirate
Day! ARRRR! So today, I will try to implement “pirate slang” as much as I can
in upcoming facts. Ye’ can try it with your mateys later; Jolly up ye’ mood!
After all it is the fun that counts! Shall we get started? Aye Aye matey!
Onions has been used in ye’ dish for ages, and each time ye’
peel the skin off, ye’ feel t’tears comin’ rollin down ye’ cheek, ye’ know why?
Have ye’ been thinkin’ me hearties? (Droppin’ the pirate slang for scientific
terms!) Well, it’d because onions absorb sulfur from the soil. When onions are chopped,
it ends up breaking cells within the onion, which releases certain enzymes. These
enzymes react with the sulfur, creating amino acid sulfoxides. This in turn,
creates the highly unstable syn-propanethial-S-oxide, which is a combination of
a sulfuric acid, sulfur dioxide, & hydrogen sulfide. When this substance,
in a gaseous state, comes in contact with the moisture in your eyes, it
triggers a burning sensation via the ciliary nerve. When the brain gets the
message that there’s an irritant in the eyes, it kicks the lachrymal glands
into overdrive, trying to flush the irritant out of ye’ eye with tears. It sure
is irritatin’, feels a lot like one eyed pirate, thanks to the irritation!
Up next! Ye’ like munchin’ popcorns? I be’ great grand fan
of popcorn! ye’ been thinkin’ why d' sweet lil’ popcorns pop? Think no more! I be’
here to tell ye’ why! (Droppin’ it again!) There are three main elements of
corn that have to come together to produce popcorn kernels that are good for
popping. Those three elements are the percentage of water content, hard, undamaged,
water impermeable shell; and a starchy center. When the kernels are heated up,
the water inside begins to steam. The starch inside the kernel then turns into
a kind of a gel like substance as a result of this. Eventually, the pressure of
the steam gets so great that the hard shell bursts! When this happens, the
steam rapidly expands, which results in the gel expanding out and hardening
into airy foam. Basically the gelatinized starch expands, forming a thin airy
bubbled jelly which fuses together and then solidifies very quickly as it is
exposed to air and cools off. The cooling sets the starch and protein polymers
into the white puffy flakes, we know as popcorns. Walla!
Avast! Next up is somethin’ deep from the ocean me' sail on! Lobsters and crabs! Arrr! Have ye’ mateys e’er thought why do these
rascals turn’red? The exoskeleton of most crustacean are made up of several
pigments, one of which is a carotenoid called astaxanthin which provides a red
tint. At normal temperature and when it’s alive, the pigments is hidden because
they are covered with other protein chains that give their shells the
bluish-gray and brownish green color we see. Exposure to heat destroys these
protein chains, while the carotenoid pigment, astaxanthin remains stable. So
when you cook a lobster or a crab or any other delicious crustacean mateys, the
heat breaks down all the pigments except the astaxanthin; thus causing the
striking, bright color of red.
Shiver me timbers! Some fine facts we ha’e here! Now ye’ kno’
some facts that many don'! Go thar’ share ye’ pirate spirit! Ha’e a
grand, great day! So long me hearty, ARRR!
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